Ginger (zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant in the family zingiberaceae whose rhizome, ginger root or simply ginger, is widely used as a spice or a medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual stems about a meter tall bearing narrow green leaves and yellow flowers. Ginger is indigenous to southern china, and was spread eventually to the spice islands, other parts of asia and subsequently to west africa and the caribbean. ginger was exported to europe via india in the first century ad as a result of the lucrative spice trade. India remains the largest producer of ginger. Ginger produces a hot, fragrant kitchen spice.young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be steeped in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Ginger can also be made into candy, or ginger wine which has been made commercially since 1740. Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from ginger roots is often used as a spice in indian recipes, and is a common ingredient of chinese, korean, japanese, vietnamese and many south asian cuisines for flavoring dishes such as seafood, various meats and vegetarian cuisine.Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 to 1, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are somewhat different. Powdered dry ginger root is typically used as a flavoring for recipes such as gingerbread, cookies, crackers and cakes, ginger ale, and ginger beer. Candied ginger, or crystallized ginger, is the root cooked in sugar until soft, and is a type of confectionery. Fresh ginger may be peeled before eating. For longer-term storage, the ginger can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated or frozen